'We made them safer and more fun': Here's what's new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
This year, e-scooters have new features, Tim Tierney, city councillor for the Beacon Hill-Cyrville ward told CTV Morning Live's Rosey Edeh.
“It's been an evolution. We used to have the dumb scooter that you could park anywhere. And now, we have the smart evolution of scooters,” Tierney said.
“They're always updated all the time, and it makes it so it prevents sidewalk riding, jumping at a round.”
Tierney notes that residents wanted the service to start earlier, as some use e-scooters to go to work.
“We've looked at the trips and it's really exciting. Some of the data we got back, people wanted it to start earlier because they wanted to go to work and it used to start only at 6 a.m. (and) now 5 a.m.,” said Tierney.
The service is also going after 11 p.m. and Tierney says some safety measures have been added to accommodate this extension.
“You got to be cautious because after 11 o'clock there's going to be a sobriety test. So, it's going to use either the speed or matching lines. I won't tell you which. And it's just to ensure we have some safe riding after 11 o'clock till 1 a.m. in the morning,” he said.
Tierney says it's not only fun to use the e-scooters, but also easy to navigate.
“They have the barcodes on the top of the scooters and this is for demonstration purposes. You scan it in, you punch it in and now suddenly you're on your way,” Tierney said.
“So you strap on your helmet if you wish and you're gonna hop on the scooters. And that's about it.”
Tierney notes that the e-scooters are expected to foster tourism and economic growth in the city.
“The tourists love it. They are to get around,” he said.
He notes that residents in Ottawa will not incur an increase in taxes as a result of the service.
“It's not going to cost tax payers a dime,” he said.
What are the safety rules?
Though the e-scooters are “all about having fun,” there are some safety rules in place, Tierney said.
“You can't ride on the sidewalks. You riding crazy, you're account will probably be shut,” he said.
- Riders in Ottawa must be 16 years old and above.
- Those under 18 need consent from a parent or a legal guardian.
- Helmets are mandatory for riders under 18 and strongly recommended for all users.
- E-scooters can be ridden on city bike lanes, multi-use trails, pathways and streets that have a speed limit of 50km/h or lower. Always stay as far right as is safe.
- The speed limit for e-scooters is 20km/h or 12km/h in designated “slow zones.”
- Riding on sidewalks is not permitted
- One rider is permitted per e-scooter and no tandem riding. Do not ride with children.
- Always keep a safe distance from pedestrians and mobility devices such as wheelchairs.
- Do not ride under the influence of alcohol or other substances.
- Be aware and remove earphones.
- Follow local parking guidelines.
There are two companies providing the e-scooter service in Ottawa -- Neuron and Bird.
This year, the season of the e-scooters kicked off on April 18 -- an earlier start to the season. The program will run until Nov. 15.
The 2023 season of the pilot program ran from May 15 to Nov. 15 where approximately 50,000 users took about 179,000 trips around the city. There were about 1,000 trips per day, the city says.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond and William Eltherington
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6928089.1718414815!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Foreign Affairs Minister insists there are no ‘traitors’ in Liberal caucus
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insists there are no "traitors" in the Liberal caucus, after a report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) alleged there are MPs and senators who are “semi-witting or witting participants” in foreign interference efforts.
Your father’s diet before you were born could have affected your health, a new study suggests
Your father's diet before you were born could have played a role in your health, a new study has found.
Global study ranks two Canadians cities high on list of most expensive places to buy a home
As Canadians continue to struggle with the extremely high cost of buying a home in some of the country’s major urban centres, a new global report is underscoring just how expensive some of those markets are.
Shooting in Detroit suburb injures 9, leaving an 8-year-old in critical condition
Nine people were injured, including two young children and their mother, after a shooter opened fire at a splash pad in a Detroit suburb where families gathered to escape the summer heat Saturday. Law enforcement tracked a suspect to a home, where the man died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
Rare surgery in Montreal allows 9-year-old girl to live normal life
A rare surgery at the Montreal Children's Hospital is allowing a nine-year-old girl to keep her adrenal glands and live a normal life.
Trudeau says Russia needs to be accountable for 'genocide' of taking Ukrainian kids
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Russia needs to be accountable for "an element of genocide" he says it's committing by taking thousands of Ukrainian children from their home and by trying to erase their Ukrainian identity.
'They're not human beings, they're animals': Trump blasts immigrants for taking jobs
Donald Trump blamed immigrants for stealing jobs and government resources as he courted separate groups of Black voters and hardcore conservatives in battleground Michigan on Saturday.
BREAKING A 'brazen daylight shooting': 16-year-old boy was fatally shot in Scarborough during fight, say police
Toronto police are appealing for witnesses and information as they deploy a “significant amount of resources” into the investigation of the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy in Scarborough on Saturday afternoon.
Video shows northern Ont. storm hammer shoreline, breaking dock
The owner of a northern Ont. camp is continuing to clean up after an intense storm that prompted a tornado warning Thursday ripped through the area breaking his dock and downing trees.